Collembola
Can Collembola Infest Human Skin or Live on the Scalp? Is There Any Proof or Evidence that Springtails Can Live on People?
Collembola, also known as springtails, are primitive organisms defined as hexapods, but they are often mistaken for mites. As inhabitants of fertile soil, they are considered to be the most abundant macroscopic organisms on earth. In recent years, much evidence has surfaced that springtails could be the culprit behind mysterious itching and crawling sensations experienced by victims of Delusional Parasitosis.
- Researchers at the Oklahoma State Department of Health took skin samples from 20 patients diagnosed with Delusional Parasitosis and found Collembola in 18 of the 20 patients.
- In an unrelated investigation conducted in Sweden, Dr. Frans Janssens and his colleague, Dr. Kenneth A. Christiansen, collected scores of reports regarding human springtail infestation from homeowners, doctors and pest control operators around the world, including many regions of the United States. Within the gray areas between casual testimony and medical documentation, a startling picture emerged. Springtails are everywhere, and it’s not impossible for them to latch onto people.
- Professor MJ Dumanov, an internationally recognized medical mycologist who inspects homes and public facilities to analyze environmental contaminants, states that collembola found in homes with fungal mold identified on human skin is often misdiagnosed as Delusional Parasitosis. Dumanov actively encourages physicians and psychiatrists to consider mold infestations when questioning patients who suffer from mysterious itching and crawling sensations.
Although the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) does not believe that victims of delusional parasitosis are infested by real organisms, homeowners generally agree that springtails are not welcome house guests! Who wouldn’t be a little disturbed by the sight of tiny specks jumping around the bathtub or moving down the basement wall? It’s never a good idea to allow springtails to multiply under damp wood floors or breed behind wood siding. You don’t have to be delusional to want them gone. Our products kills springtails AND the mold they feed upon.
Treatment Instructions:
Should you find your home infested with springtails, our organic indoor spray formula can be applied directly to carpets, bedding and human skin. Our outdoor concentrate can be used to soak mulch and other landscaping materials that harbor large springtail populations. For best results, focus on areas that touch the perimeter of your home. To kill mold and springtails deep within wood decks or wood siding, apply our termite treatment with a paintbrush. Most wood sealants are simply coatings that sit on top of wood surfaces. This product is a penetrant. You can literally SEE it leeching into wood and traveling through capillaries. Achieve total penetration of wood, stone and concrete while delivering a lethal dose of cedar oil to insects living below the material surface.
The important thing to remember about springtails is that they have no reason to hang around and breed within the home if there’s no mold or moisture. Springtails breathe through their skin, which is very permeable to water. To survive, they must linger in damp locations. Technically, they are not mites or parasites. They don’t hide near human resting places waiting for a blood meal. They congregate in moist places where there may be mold to feed upon. For example, if you see yellow or brown patches on the ceiling where rain seeped through the roof and didn’t quite make it into the home, you could be infested with mold. If you have hard wood floors with cracks and crevices that allow moisture to seep down into the sub floor, you’re a prime candidate for springtail infestation, especially in the kitchen or bathroom. For advanced infestations that seem to return no matter what pesticides you apply, treatment with our cedar oil fog machine is highly recommended.
Remember that all essential oils are not created equal. Many essential oils sold in tiny bottles have antiseptic properties and skin softening abilities, but it doesn’t mean they are superior mite or insect killers. The supreme advantage of cedar oil is that it can be ordered by the gallon for far less money. It’s not just a skin treatment; it’s a total home and yard solution.
What Makes Our Organic Cedar Oil Formula Powerful and Unique?
- Erodes the exoskeleton of insects that crawl through treated areas, contributing to the early demise of insects you don’t see.
- Repels a wide variety of insects and discourages new insects from moving into treated territory for up to a month.
- Dissolves eggs on contact, but not by proximity. In other words, eggs must come in contact with the formula, not just the vapors.
- Won’t stain carpets, bedding or furniture because it’s steam distilled in small batches to remove impurities.
- Spreads nicely over wide areas because it’s not mixed with water. (Our formula contains a special organic solvent that helps it stay mixed. Normally, oil and water will always separate, producing very uneven results when distributed over wide areas. That’s why it’s so difficult to treat wide surfaces with essential oils that are sold in tiny bottles at health stores.)
- Can be applied directly to humans, dogs and horses.
- Is endorsed by Animal Wellness Magazine as a safe alternative to dangerous chemical and spot drop flea treatments, which shorten life spans and cause SEVERE reactions in more than 44,000 animals each year. Read more…
- Is used by housing authorities across the country against bedbugs because these hearty parasites have an uncanny ability to develop resistance to chemical pesticides.